Texas court halts vote on Carlyle-backed oil export project

Reuters Staff

1 分钟阅读

HOUSTON, March 19 (Reuters) - A Texas appellate court on Tuesday issued a temporary injunction preventing officials in Corpus Christi from approving a contract with a Carlyle Group-backed company planning to build a crude export facility on the city's waterfront.

Kenneth Berry, a former port commissioner, argued that the public agenda for the meeting was improper and violated the state's open meeting law. Officials had been scheduled on Tuesday to vote on a plan to lease 200 acres on a harbor island to Lone Star Ports LLC, the Carlyle company.

Port officials have filed to a motion to dismiss the stay, said Sean Strawbridge, chief executive of the Port of Corpus Christi. "These are pugnacious litigation tactics," Strawbridge said. "Hopefully, the courts will clear the way for us to move forward soon."

Attorneys for Berry did not respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by Collin Eaton Editing by Tom Brown)